Details on how foreign workers can sponsor their family members after a change in law this year were revealed by the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship on Sunday.
In March, the UAE Cabinet issued a decision that removed the job title demand from workers sponsoring relatives, making the criteria based on income instead.
Previously, a resident could only sponsor a family member if they met certain criteria, including a “managerial” title.
This excluded some skilled workers who filled the minimum income requirement but whose job titles did not meet criteria.
The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship announced it was adopting the Cabinet resolution on Sunday.
The resolution allows foreigners residing in the UAE to bring family members, including a spouse, sons under the age of 18 and unmarried daughters, to reside in the UAE.
The minimum income requirement is Dh4,000 or Dh3,000 plus accommodation. For a woman to sponsor her children, she must earn Dh10,000.
Residents seeking to apply for visas on behalf of their family members must provide proof of appropriate housing and health insurance for their relatives, as well as their registration in the national population database. They must also apply for Emirates IDs for each family member.
Maj Gen Saeed Al Rashidi, Director-General of Foreigners Affairs and Ports at the ICA, said the resolution aims to ensure the stability of foreign workers in the UAE by allowing them to bring their families to the country.
He said the sponsor, whether male or female, must present a certified marriage certificate and the birth certificates of any children translated into Arabic, as well as proof of their monthly income. A wife wishing to sponsor her children must attach a certified written agreement from her husband.
Widowed and divorced women can also sponsor their children, but they must present a recently issued divorce or death certificate to prove custody.
The resolution requires families to declare one sponsor, either a husband or wife, to prevent multiple sponsors.
